Antarctica
Antarctica is the last discovered continent where wildlife and nature exist without excessive pressures of man.
The dramatic mountains, glaciers, icebergs and ocean provide a backdrop to the lives of the wildlife who have adapted to living here. During the brief summer months of light, an astounding abundance of life returns to crowd the headlands and beaches. Many varieties of penguins and seals as well as a huge number of bird species can be seen during your visit. Watching whales is a great bonus.
The "heroic age" of Shackleton, Amundsen and others a hundred years ago opened Antarctica to the world.
Cruise types
There are two very different cruise types to Antarctica – firstly the larger cruise ships that visit here are restricted to scenic cruising through the area and generally include a visit to the region with longer cruises around the South American coast.
However the majority of cruises here are provided by smaller specialty ships that allow passengers to disembark onto the Antarctic islands and the continent itself. These ships tend to be sturdy expedition style ships and do not offer all the extras associated with modern cruise ships. These cruises are dedicated to the experience and feature experts in the region and the wild life who give lectures and lead shore excursions. Visits to the Islands are usually by Zodiac inflatables.
The contrasts in temperature are striking as summer in the Falklands and Ushuaia can sometimes be quite warm, while summertime in Antarctica hovers at the freezing mark.
Cruise seasons
Cruises here operate from October to March in the southern summer months when the days are longer - there are upto to 20 hours of daylight in high summer.
Main Ports
Larger cruise ships tend to depart either Valparaiso or Buenos Aires and include an Antarctic experience within their ‘round the horn’ cruise.
Specialty ships generally depart from Ushuaia, the most southerly city in the world located on Tierra del Fuego. These cruises often combine visits to Port Stanley in the Falklands with visits to uninhabited islands to enjoy the remarkable sea and bird life.
Weather
Weather in the sub Antarctic islands is cool but pleasant in the summer months but the temperature on the continent itself rarely gets above freezing. The nature of the area means that the weather can and does change quite quickly, so if you plan a cruise here take good note of the cruise lines advice on clothing. Again remember that island visits are by zodiac inflatables so you need to ensure you are properly dressed for these trips.
Photo Credit: Photo by Cassie Matias on Unsplash
Ports of Interest
- Adélie Land, Antarctica
- Admiralty Bay, Antarctica
- Almirante Brown, Angentina
- Amanda Bay, Antarctica
- Amundsen Sea, Antarctica
- Antarctic Expedition Deep South
- Antarctic Peninsula
- Antarctic Sound
- Antarctic Sound
- Arctowski, Antarctica
- Balleny Islands, Sub Antarctic Islands
- Barrientos Island, Antarctica
- Bellingshausen Sea, Antarctica
- Bleaker Island, Falkland Islands
- Bouvet Island, Antarctica
- Bransfield Strait, Antarctica
- Brown Bluff, Antarctica
- Bull Point, Falkland Islands
- Burke Island, Antarctica
- Cape Adare, East Antarctica
- Cape Colbeck, Antarctica
- Cape Hallett, Antarctica
- Cape Rosa
- Cape Royds, Ross Island, Antarctica
- Carcass Island, West Falkland Islands
- Charcot Island, Antarctica
- Commonwealth Bay, Antarctica
- Cook Island, South Sandwich Islands
- Coronation Island, Sub Antarctic Islands
- Coulman Island Antarctica
- Crozet Islands, Sub Antarctic Islands
- Crystal Sound, Antarctica
- Cuverville Island, Antarctica
- Davis Station, Antarctica
- Deception Island, Antarctica
- Detaille Island, Antarctica
- Drake Passage
- Dumont d'Urville Station, Antarctica
- Elephant Island, South Shetland Islands
- English Coast, Antarctic Peninsula
- Esperanza Station, Antarctica
- Falkland Islands
- Fortuna Bay, South Georgia
- French Southern And Antarctic Lands
- Gerlache Strait
- Godthul, South Georgia
- Gold Harbour, South Georgia
- Grave Cove, Falkland Islands
- Grytviken, South Georgia
- Half Moon Island, South Shetland Islands
- Heard Island, Antarctica
- Hope Bay, Antarctica
- Jason Islands, Falklands
- Kerguelen Islands (Desolation Islands), South Indian Ocean
- King George Island, South Shetland Islands
- Larsen Ice Shelf, Antarctica
- Lemaire Channel, Antarctica
- Liard Island, Antarctica
- Livingston Island, South Shetland Islands
- Macquarie Island, Sub Antarctic Island
- Marble Point, Dry Valleys Region
- Marguerite Bay, Antarctica
- Marie Byrd Land, Antarctica
- McMurdo Sound, Antarctica
- Melchior Island, Antarctica
- Mertz Glacier, Antarctica
- Mikkelsen Harbour, Antarctica
- Neko Harbour, Antarctica
- Neumayer Channel, Antarctica
- New Harbour, Ross Sea
- New Island, West Falkland Islands
- Ninnis and Mertz Glaciers, Antarctica
- Oates Land Coast, Antarctica
- Orne Harbour, Antarctica
- Palmer Station, Antarctica
- Paradise Bay, Cuverville Island
- Paulet Is, Antarctica
- Paulet Island, Antarctica
- Penola Strait, Antarctica
- Peter I Island, Antarctica
- Petermann Island, Antarctica
- Petrel Island, South Georgia
- Pleneau Island
- Port Lockroy, Antarctica
- Port Martin, Antarctica
- Port Stanley, Falkland Islands
- Possession Islands, Antarctica
- Pourquoi Pas Island, Antarctica
- Powell Island, Antarctica
- Prion Island, South Georgia
- Queen Mary Land, Antarctica
- Ross Island, Antarctica
- Ross Sea Region, Antarctica
- Ruppert Coast, Antarctica
- Salisbury Plain, South Georgia
- Saunders Island South Sandwich Islands
- Saunders Island, Falklands
- Schollart Channel
- Scotia Sea
- Sea Lion Island, Falkland Islands
- Shackleton Ice Shelf, Antarctica
- Signey Island, St Orkney Isls
- South Georgia, South Atlantic Ocean
- South Of The Polar Circle
- South Orkney Islands, Southern Ocean
- South Sandwich Islands, South Georgia
- South Shetland Islands, Antarctica
- St Andrews Bay South Georgia
- Steeple Jason Island, Falkland Islands
- Stonington Island, Antarctica
- Stromness, South Georgia
- Tera Nova Bay, Antarctica
- Terra Nova Bay, Antarctica
- The Antarctic Circle
- The Gullett, Antarctica
- Thule Island, South Sandwich Islands
- Thurston Glacier, Siple Island
- Victoria Land, Antarctica
- Volunteer Island, Falkland Islands
- Waterboat Point, Antarctic Peninsula
- Weddell Sea Antarctica
- West Point, Falkland Islands
- Whalers Bay, Antarctica
- Wilhelmina Bay, Antarctica
- Wilkes Land, Antarctica
- Zavodovski Island, South Sandwich Islands
- Zhongshan and Larsemann Hills, Antarctica